Transgression 越界

video & media art from Czech Republic
25.05.2010 - 18.06.2010 | Videotage, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Curator: Gabriela Jurkovič

Artists: Aleš Čermák, Anetta Mona Chisa, Darina Alster, David Helan, David Landa, Dieu Hao Do, Erik Sikora, Eugenio Percossi, Eva Jiřička, Evženie Brabcová, Frederika Hoppner, Groupe Guma Guar, Ivan Svoboda, Jakub Nepraš, Jan Pfeiffer, Janek Rous, Josef Bares, Karin Šrubařová, Klara Jirková, Mark Ther, Martin Boyer, Martin Kohout, Michael Bielicky, Michal Cab, Michal Pěchouček, Miloš Šejn, o----o.info, Ondřej Brody, Pavel Příkazský, Pavel Sterec, Pavel Tichoň, Petr Skala, Petra Pětiletá, Silver & True, Radim Labuda, Rozalie Kohoutová, Shlomi Yaffe, Štěpán Kleník, Tamara Moyzes, Veronika Bromová, Viktor Takáč, Jan Trejbal, Viktor Frešo, Viktor Fuček,
Vilém Novák, VJ Kolouch

Work from Milos Sejn: Zygnemates Algea, 2003, HDV

Transgression is a term in geology to describe the spread of the sea over land areas, resulting in flooding; in cultural studies, it means the disruption of taboos, the crossing of borders.

Entitled ‘Transgression’, this exhibition follows the development of Czech video and new media art after the fall of communism and the Velvet Revolution in 1989. For more than twenty years, working under the shadow of conspiracy and concealed political transformations, this generation of Prague artists experiences the tacky commercialism and silent upheavals of everyday life. The term transgression epitomized the modern Czech voices that are compelling in searching for love, identity and freedom. Taking the advantage of the arrival of new technologies and media, these artists not only are breaking away from the historical, social and political limitations but also are setting new landscape of time and space, new horizons of sense and sensibility and new expressions of human existence.

‘Transgression’ is a collection of works by over 30 artists of all ages who are somehow connected to, living or working in Prague, a fast turning multicultural city in Central Europe. The exhibition is a rare opportunity for Hong Kong audience to have a closer look at Czech Republic’s art and culture, as well as to highlight the importance of adding new value to the European aging culture. As the Austrian-born art historian Ernst Gombrich says: “the Europeans still come to terms with the past that they live in a continual and continuing the events and relations fifty years old. Still remarkable and admirable, the European culture instead of at its peak of flowering, is declining and disappearing, like the sinking Venice, the crashes of the Leaning Tower of Pizza. Christianity, the major cultural resource and the most important legacy lost its essence, like a senile old man forgets its origin.”

Artists from Czech often describe their art scene as a ‘small pond’, which is an intimate circle where everyone knows each other. The Pond is often man-made; still it has extremely diversified ecosystems. It will be important to maintain the pool openly so that it can provide a healthy environment to its resident. In the exhibition, audience can observe the lively ‘small pond’ closely and witness the transgression forces acting in all inward and outward directions. Comparative studies between Prague and Hong Kong cultures are also automatically set in motion.

Videotage
Unit 13, Cattle Depot Artist Village, 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong
fuse:: 駐場計劃
videotage